Soldiers
by Ella Cinders
Summary: Meet Charla, Jet, Sephy, Heran, Taj and Lily. A flock of winged children with enough spunk, history and love to outmatch Max and Flock. Well, almost. What happens when they meet, and get dragged on the nightmare ride to Death Valley?
1. Smudges In The Sky

**Disclaimer – I don't own James' Patterson's amazing work.**

**Disclaimer II: And no, I don't own Nickleback either :/ What a dumb question. **

**A/N: This is the New & Improved Soldiers :D**

**Enjoy && Pleeease Review :)**

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**Smudges In The Sky**

_**"**__All I need is you  
Come please I'm callin'  
And oh I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin'"_

_--Savin' Me, Nicklback _

Clear, cloudless, inky black-blue skies with a myriad of stars. I shifted my gaze from the perfect view, to the view of wreckage in front of me, behind me, surrounding me.

Itex had been blasted into smithereens, only rubble and dust and a few sputtering fires were left. I wanted to find the moron that did it, so I could beat their stupid ass. I was literally seconds away from discovering the answers to our lives, when a NUCLEAR like bomb blasted from the other part of the building. When Itex started falling apart, the walls collapsing right in front of our eyes, I figured it would be a pretty good time to get the flock the hell out of there.

Except the freaking Erasers just had to turn up, slavering and sweating everywhere. They were ready to rip our throats out, and I had a few seconds to wonder how they always seemed to know exactly where we were, before I had to concentrate on beating their sorry butts. A few rib breaking roundhouse kicks, nose smashing punches, wing ripping slashes and ear drum pops soon sorted them out. Gotta love your team of mutants. Exhausted, I counted five heads - black, black, reddish, brown, blond- and almost passed out in the blazing wreckage that had been Itex - the people who were going to save the world.

I tore my gaze away from the ruins and onto my still comatose flock. I allowed myself a moment to bask in the silence, to try and get my head together. I wasn't cut out for this leader stuff- being strong and capable all the time. But I only allowed myself a moment, before rousing them out of unconciousness. We needed to leave-the Itex boom was inevitably going to cause a scene, and just this once, I didn't want it to be because of us.

Heran was the first to really wake up. The eleven year old helped me get the yougest – Taj and Lily- up and ready to go, and my heart just melted. They really were so damn cute. Heran even dared to try and get Sephy on her feet. Which meant I had to wake up Jet.

The handsome, slightly tanned, black haired boy with an impressive wingspan.

He's four months younger than me, but already at least six inches taller. His eyelids were flickering, and he suddenly opened them wide and I saw his pupils dilating. It was too dark to see his irises, which were a mix of ambery-yellow and brown. Y'see, Jet's not even in the same league of freak as we are. Most of his body is covered in strange markings, kind of ringed black and brown freckles. The proper name for the marks – _rosettes_. The marks you usually find on the _Panthera pardus_, a leopard.

"Where?" he said simply, getting up and stretching out his wings. I shook my head, forgetting about his rosettes and focusing on Jet himself.

"South."

It was a dual purpose really. It was December, and it would be easier to stick to warmer climates (can you imagine flying with a duffel coat on?) and I was sure I had seen six bird kid shapes flying that way. Maybe they were nothing more than smudges in the sky, but I trusted my instincts. Mostly.

So we flew that way until sunrise, and I saw Them dip down into the Everglades. I watched, and knew exactly where They landed. I took my own flock down there, to a different but nearby patch of land, where they curled up haphazardly, dusty and dirty but still in one piece. Tears almost leaped out my eyes. We were safe, at least for now. I went over our past few months in my mind. It felt like we had been on the run forever.

I leaned against the bark of a thick tree, on the first and only watch. I needed to watch out for Them, these other bird kids. If that's what I had really seen. There was the possibility it was another trap I'd fallen for, another mistake I'd made. That seemed to be the story of my life. The labbies, the evil scientists from the School, knew exactly how to manipulate me. So I would be on my guard, trusting nobody, trusting nothing.

Because the last trap I'd fallen for, it had cost me almost everything. I gripped my arms tightly, feeling the goosebumps and feeling my fingernails digging into my skin. But it was okay. Being freezing, and cutting my own fingernails into my skin was better, a lot better, than remembering _that_ day.

_That day_ was the day we rescued Lily from her abduction to the_ School_, after an extremely bad roller coaster ride to get to Death Valley in the first place. That was the day I found out Hayley had just been playing at being dead -that was the day I found out the real meaning of betrayal. That was the day I relived my worst nightmare of being locked in a cage. We fought the worst fight of our lives. And we _lost_, because the flock ripped apart. I learned the true meaning of agony that day.

I was wide awake, and I knew I would get no sleep. Instead I walked about the flock, checking them in their sleep. I smoothed Lily's blond hair down and kissed her forehead. She was only a little girl. An unbelievably sweet little girl. Taj, her brother, was curled up right beside her. His dark brown hair was flecked with Itex debris. I picked it out, careful not to wake him, and tucked his jacket collar right up around his chin. Heran was close by, frowning in his sleep. His reddish, russet-y coloured hair looked clean enough, and as I brushed the dirt off his clothes, he stirred. I was terrified his clear green eyes would open, and see my tear streaked face. That he would see right through me, the way I think Jet sometimes could.

Sephy was far away from the others, so she could stretch out her wings. She looked calm, almost serene, which was unusual for her. Sephy's black dreadlocks were becoming fuzzy, but she was still gorgeous. Her skin smooth and dark, her eyelashes like thick curtains framing big, beautifully shaped brown eyes. Her wings, stretched out to their almost full 14 feet 2 inches, were striking. Deep blue at the top, then the feathers changing to a brown-grey, and pure white underneath.

And Jet... Was awake, and by the look on his face, he knew every single thought that was going on in my head. I tried not to look panicked, or surprised. I was glad none of the flock could read minds, like properly. Jet kind of could, but not physically. At least, I hoped not. I gestured him to walk with me, a little bit away, with the flock still in sight of course. So that we could have a conversation without waking them.

"You couldn't sleep either?" I asked him. He shook his head, and for some reason this just set me off. I was still finding it hard to accept the fact that we had almost discovered our secrets before having them blown up in our faces.

"Would it kill you to answer with _speech_? It's hard enough having _one _mute flock member, I don't need another! Do you know how hard it is for me to try and work out what you all need, and how hard it is to feel like you're failing at providing you all with what you need?!"

Jet just regarded me calmly, not even the slightest bit pissed off, like I thought he would be, like I hoped he would be.

"And what do we need?" Jet asked quietly.

"Answers! Parents! Safety! A place to stay, clean clothes to wear, food, showers... And I can't give you any of those things! I hate this! I can't do this Jet, I can't be leader because all I do is _make mistakes_. I'm not cut out for this, 'I don't have what it takes'..." I started sobbing, and Jet pressed me into his solid shoulder. I cried for a full minute at least, before pulling away.

"I never wanted this," I said brokenly. Jet stiffened, and looked almost angry.

"I don't think Sid wanted it either."

I gasped. I couldn't believe he had said his name out loud. I almost screamed in frustration and hurt and despair. I needed to get away from him. I started climbing one of the tall trees. I ignored him calling after me, I ignored the splinters of wood slicing into my hands, I ignored the mounting pain settling on my chest after just hearing that name said aloud...

Standing up straight on one of the thickest, tallest branches, I took step into the sky.

I kept flying, straight upwards, even when the air began to get dense and cold.

_**You'll never get away, Charla,**_ my Voice reminded me annoyingly. _**You have to accept it at one point. Your grief is making you weak. Sid's dead, and it's your fault. Just accept it, and move on.**_

That kind of talk from the Voice made me want to fold my wings in tight, so I could fall from this height of almost 2300 feet. I needed Sid, more than ever. He really had been the wind beneath my wings. And now, without him, I was falling so fast it made me sick.

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If you're reading these words, well done. Chapter 2 coming soon. Its a Max POV.

Now press the "Review" button... Please:)


	2. I Do Now

**Disclaimer – I don't own James' Patterson's amazing work. :/ Sheesh.**

**Disclaimer II: I don't own the quote ?**

**A/N: This Is The New And Improved Soldiers :D Hope everyone likes. **

**Enjoy && Pleeease Review :)**

**I Do Now**

_"You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone."_

_-- Al Capone (1899-1947)_

Oh, _great_. Just when I was maybe thinking we were safe. I mean, for crying out loud, in the last 48 hours I'd been kidnapped, locked in a sensory depriving freaking tank, fought and almost killed a complete replica of myself and thought the flock was dead after an explosion which destroyed Itex. You would have thought I deserved a break. But oh nooo, I just had to spot a female flying Eraser, one that could actually fly, about a hundred feet or so above. She was circling, in graceful arcs. _She was looking for us. _I watched her fly in a few more circles, look my way again, and dip down. I followed where she went, then figured it was time to _vamanos_. I grimaced, and tapped Fang's fist, nodding up to the sky.

"Erasers?"

"I think so. A female. They've been upgrading again, I guess. And she was looking for us."

"Just another day, then," Fang said dryly and I laughed a little. We really were so much more comfortable with each other, lately. Was that because of everything that had happened to us in that looong time since Angel had been captured? You know, the Kiss, Sam, the Red Haired Wonder... My face flushed as I remembered how freaked out I had been at that... And then the stupid Voice telling me I had feelings for Fang! I started waking up the flock to cover my embarrassment at those memories.

Iggy was the only one who actually got up. I think Nudge just went back to sleep. Lazy buggar.

"So, Max, an Eraser? Just one? And there was no choppers or big pack of bloodthirsty wolves following?" Iggy frowned, running a pale hand over his still dusty, strawberry blond hair.

"It was just her."

"A female flying Eraser?" Iggy's frown deepened. "I dunno, this seems kinda weird. Maybe we should check it out?"

"Check what out?" Nudge asked sleepily, rolling over beside Iggy. She opened her eyes and perked up. "Are we getting food?"

"Soon, sweetie. First we gotta kick some Eraser butt."

"There's no Erasers round here, Max," chipped in Angel, stroking a a grumpy and sleepy Total. "Least, I can't feel any."

We all got to our feet anyway, checking our packs, ready to go. Angel was concentrating, biting her lip but when she started to speak, Iggy clapped a hand over her mouth and put a finger to his lips. He half frowned, the way he did when he was listening intently.

"People," he said, pointing. "Over that way. Hurry." He started walking in that direction, and slightly bewildered, we followed him. Iggy kept rushing forwards, before flat out running.

"What's up?" Nudge panted, running faster to keep up with me. "What is he hearing?"

I had no answer for her, I tried to shrug. It was kinda hard, seeing as I was running as fast as I could chasing a six foot tall _blind _Avian-American, (as I had dubbed us) who was chasing a snatch of a conversation he'd overheard...

And if you don't think I'm crazy, you should read that sentence again.

I was amazed he was navigating so well, dodging around the trees with no problem at all but Iggy does have "the best ears on the planet" to quote Fang from a couple of lifetimes ago. Jeezum, that time seemed like a long time ago. Back before we were the criminals we are now - stealing money, vans, cars, speeding (cough, Fang, cough) etc.

A few more trees, and then about a hundred yards away there was a medium sized, dryish patch of land... And _six_ kids like us.

No, really like us. Freakily like us (heavy on the freak part). These kids were dirty, bruised, with small battered packs. And, oh yeah, _wings_.  
Holy frijoles.

I think all twelve of us gave meaning to the word and expression shocked. Thirteen if you count Total, who whimpered and hid behind Angel's legs in that brave way he has. She looked like she was going to scream but all that came out was a kind of terrified squeak. Gazzy's eyes were about to bug out of his head and Nudge was doing a great fish-out-of-water gasping and gaping thing. Fang was blinking rapidly, as if the six bird kids were an apparition he could get rid of by opening and shutting his eyes. As for me? My eyes were stretched as far as the would go while my jaw was about to hit the forest floor.

Poor Iggy. He didn't know exactly what was happening but he was tense and I saw his fists curling. I could tell it was taking all of us patience not to yell out "What the hell is going on?!" Luckily, Nudge put him out of his misery. He swallowed and turned his head slightly in their direction, his sensitive ears listening for any signs of them, so that he could create a map inside his head of their location.

"At least they weren't Erasers, right Max?" he said nervously, paler than normal, if that was possible.

"Right," I said faintly, feeling my head spin into an other orbit. I took Nudge and Angel's hands and making sure the boys were close, we made our cautious way over to the Other Flock. I was taking no chances after the virtual reality fear factor thing. I didn't think that the whitecoats could surprise me anymore. Walking over to Them was one of the weirdest moments of my life and trust me on this, I've had plenty. I felt like I was walking underwater, encased in a bubble, because everything was moving so slowly. My legs felt like dead weights, and I wanted to see them, get it over with and be on my way.

As we got closer, a girl with dark loose curls began to gather her flock around her. She was talking to them and as she did, she used her hands animatedly. Was it some sort of sign language? I guessed so, since the littlest one who looked a lot like Angel was watching the girl's fluid hand movements intently. I tried to understand it, but it was impossible. She struck her nails against her thumbs more times than I could count, wiggled and waved her finger joints, clicked her fingers _a lot_ and made a series of signs and hand movements I could barely see.

"She's clicking her fingers," Iggy murmured to himself in confusion.

"She's signing," Nudge said helpfully. She looked like she was going to say more, but a look from Fang quelled her word spew.

The tallest girl there, who was black with dread locked hair and a hostile, fierce expression signed something back. The first girl with the curls whipped around to face us.

"Stop," she commanded and everyone except me and Fang froze. The guy was fearless and I didn't take commands from anyone, not anymore.

"I said, _stop_," the girl repeated in a vicious snarl, pulling out a gun. Okay, maybe I would be more responsive to her commands now... But my concern was for the younger ones, who were afraid but bravely not showing an ounce of it. I was so proud of them. Anyway, I instinctively herded them behind me and Fang subtly tugged Iggy closer to him. I mean sure, the guy was a genetically engineered, amazing freak like the rest of us, but it would be a lot harder for him to avoid catching bullets.

I was trying not to let any fear bubble up inside me- I needed to stay in control, be Invincible Max. This girl obviously took no prisoners.

But then again, neither did I.

"We just want to talk," I said much, much more confidently than I felt. Even from this distance, I saw the girl frown and stir slightly- I had unnerved her. I even saw her mouth the four words that had haunted me for most of my life: _"You talk, you die"._

Things had moved onto a much bigger playing field. And apparently, us six weren't the only ones on the team. But she shook herself ever so slightly, and she set her shoulders back again to look more intimidating.

"About what?"

I paused, unsure of how to best capture her interest. _Voice? _I thought hopefully, knowing fine well it probably wouldn't respond. _**Itex,**_ the Voice replied, unusually brief.

"Itex," I repeated the Voice's, er, word. Recognition covered the rest of her flock's features, except the oldest looking boy and youngest looking girl. Reluctantly, she lowered her gun and I was about to step forward, except Fang pulled me back.

"Yvern," he hissed, in his usual one-word way. Jeez, even in our secret language he was practically mute. And another thing - Yvern was our word for trap.

"Of course I've thought of that!" I snapped back, at the same time asking the Voice: _Is it safe? Can we trust them? _

_**Is anything safe, in your world, Maximum?**_

_You're quite the wit, _I snarled snidely inside my own head.

_**But yes, you can trust them, **_the Voice sighed. I was stunned. The Voice never, ever displayed any kind of emotion. _**For now. **_But it never got tired of it's riddles and warnings.

"It's fine," I told Fang, but he refused to let go of my arm. His usually unreadable expression wore a firm _NO_. Fang was the most stubborn and uncooperative guy I'd ever met. How was I going to get him to go over there? We needed answers, and quickly. Angel spoke in a whispery voice from my side, and both of us turned to look at her. The poor kid was filthy, and exhausted from our Itex ... mishap.

"It is okay, I think. They're not Erasers or anything. They think we _are_," Angel managed a small giggle, probably imagining us as Erasers. But I felt like someone had smothered me in ice. A vivid image of myself rubbing the steam out of Anne's bathroom mirror, and getting the shock of my life, popped into my head. _"I bet you look kind of Pekingesey..." _Fang's voice came into my head involuntarily. Then suddenly I was back there, asking him to kill me, back there staring in horror at the hairy skin, the sharp canines inside a vicious muzzle... Eraser Max. Me.

I hoped Angel wasn't listening to my thoughts then, but she seemed to be tuning into the Others. We all waited tensely to hear what she said, and out of the corner of my eye I saw the Other Flock signing to each other again. Nudge clicked her tongue impatiently, and I shushed her while Gazzy scraped his scruffy sneakers across the forest floor and Iggy listened intently to the Others. Fang was as silent as always.

"The leader one... She keeps thinking about this guy called Sid. She thinks she's doing it wrong without him," Angel frowned absentmindedly stroking a grubby Celeste.

"And you, Max," she added. "She's thinking about you."

This is definitely a day for the shocked.

Angel frowned again. "No, sorry, no. It's someone called Maxxie. Maybe a boy. I can keep listening, if you want?"

"That's okay, sweetie. You don't want to tire yourself out." Inside, I was secretly worried. I don't know how to explain to Angel that she just can't invade people's privacy like that.

It was less than 100 yards to reach them, but it felt like 100 miles. I had the urge to turbo drive out of there, rushing away from this new experience at the speed of light. Because this could go amazingly well or disastrously wrong. And for some reason, my gut instinct was hinting at the second option. New experiences tended to go disastrously wrong for us, somehow.

I could feel Nudge's hand quivering inside mine. I so related but I couldn't let her know that, therefore I squeezed her hand and gave her my amazing, award winning reassuring smile.

And, God, we were there.  
In front of the Other Flock.  
Oh my god.

We had formed into two clumsy lines and I had ended up in front of the leader type- she wasn't the tallest but she had a force field that crackled with toughness and authority. Her hair was a mess of shadowy black loose curls. It was cut unevenly, so I guessed she was the kitchen scissors type like me. Her light skin was dry and there was a burn on her forearm. Her eyes were the darkest blue, even darker than Fang's, with lots of thin lashes and thin eyebrows. Her eyes were older than she was- she had seen too much before her time. They were hurt. Hurt and lost and dismayed.

Did my eyes look like that?

She was slender built, like all eleven of us were and I could see her wings were light grey, smudged with white underneath. There were recent scars on her lips and all around her mouth.

The youngest looking one clung to her, and she looked as though a whisper of a breeze could knock her floating. She looked fragile and frail and sickly. Her hair was so blond it looked white and was only just reaching her chin in uneven wisps. Her eyes were spookily huge and way too big for her face, but a pretty mix of brown, green and slivers of blue and her hollow bones were almost sticking out from her minute frame. Her wings looked tiny, pure white with some pearly pink feathers on the inside.

The tallest girl was _beautiful. _OK, so I don't know that much about pretty girls, but I knew she was one. She swept night black, _waist length _(how could she be bothered with that?) dreadlocks out of her face to glare at us out of thick lashed, beautifully shaped brown eyes that were narrowed in dislike. Her skin looked like velvet, to match the black streaked with brown wings.

And the three boys of that flock- the shortest who was maybe about Gazzy's age, was stubborn looking, frowning hazel eyes and cropped chestnut colour hair that toned with his wings. The next had a wave in his reddish-russet hair, with clear green eyes, a smiley kind of face and mixed brown flecked with white wings. The last was tanned, moody and dark enough to make Fang look like Mr Sunshine. He wasn't as attractive looking as our ray of sunshine however, and he had no long fringe- his hair was short and spiky. His eyes were startling because they were a yellow amber, and I saw the beginning of strange ringed freckles on his neck.

So, after careful scrutinizing from both sides, I decided it was time for introductions.

"Well, er... Hi. I'm Max, this is F-nick, Jeff, Ariel, Krystal and Zephyr," I said, nervously pointing at each in turn and trying to ignore Iggy's smothered laughter at my Fnick mistake. The beautiful dreadlocked girl made a sign quickly, but I managed to see it this time. She crossed her index and forefinger briefly before snapping them together like scissors once.

Eyebrow raised, the leader girl named her flock. "Lily, Persephone- sorry, Sephy, Taj, Heran, Jet. And I'm Charla. Now will you please tell me your _real_ names."

It didn't sound like a threat but I remembered the gun sitting, if not forgotten, then dormant in her hand.

"Fang, Iggy, Angel, Nudge, the Gasman. But I really am Max."

There was an awkward pause.

"Alrighty. You can have some food if you want," said Persephone - Sephy. When none of us responded, she glared again. "I haven't poisoned it," she snapped irritably.

"Well if you had, you wouldn't be likely to tell us, would you?" Iggy snapped back, and just as I was gonna tell him to jack it, the unthinkable happened. Scowl girl Sephy smiled.

"True," she said agreeably, touching Iggy's hand and leading him over to a large boulder where she had been sunning herself before. I was stunned. She hadn't even needed to be told, or hinted that Iggy was blind. And it didn't faze her one bit. I watched in fascination as she ripped one of the Supersize! Donuts in half, and gave the bigger half to Iggy. He could obviously hear her eating, but was still hesitant.

"Eat it, fool," said Sephy with her mouth full, in mock annoyance. Or maybe it was just annoyance. I don't know. I do know that Iggy had the goofiest grin on his face and then shoved the half in his mouth whole. Sephy's eyes widened in surprise- but that was Iggy. One of the most repulsive eaters on the planet. Yo, wait til she saw the Gasman eating.

Nudge was attempting to engage that younger boy with the red hair - Heren? Heran?- into conversation, and it looked like she was failing. Never mind. She could talk enough for the both of them. That guy, Jet, seemed to be trying to get Fang chatting. Ha! Funny joke.

Gazzy was in fact being his usual repulsive eating self, practically swallowing donuts down by the dozen. And these weren't regular Supersize! donuts. They were like, mega Supersize! donuts the size of small car tyres, coated in sugar and filled chocobloc with custard or jam. I admit, they did taste A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Angel was sharing her food with Total, and Lily looked astonished at the fact he was talking. Her mouth had formed a perfect little 'O' and her mixed colour eyes were still sneaking side ways glances at the scruffy black mutt, as if to check he was still speaking. Angel was talking happily to her and after lots of nodding and shaking of her head, Lily looked around desperately. Taj went over to her immediately, and they looked so alike, I was sure they were siblings. Lily was signing quickly to Taj, and he began to talk to Angel...

"Yeah. Lily's mute. You got some sort of problem?" Charla snarled meanly behind me, gun raised again. I was seriously beginning to dislike that girl. My eyes darted to the dull black metal, remembering the last time I had got clipped by a bullet. It had hurt like a bitch. Charla sighed.

"It's not even loaded. Don't worry."

"Well, that's a shame for you. And I think maybe you should start worrying."

There was no mistaking that angelic, dripping-with-honey Eraser voice. I turned smartly on my heel and gaped. There were over fifty of them, surrounding us, locking us in the medium sized patch which was starting to look pretty tiny. There was only one way to go. UP. Unfortunately, they could follow us into the sky.

_"You got some sort of problem?" ... Well, I do now._


	3. Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do!

**Disclaimer – I don't own James' Patterson's amazing work. :/ Sheesh.**

**Disclaimer II: I don't own the quote ? Lost is THE BEST DAMN THING. I just saw "The Brig" and was very pleased as my theory was proven true. Also, a few other characters use the quote but Locke said it first.  
**

**A/N: This Is The New And Improved Soldiers :D Hope everyone likes.**

**A/N II: Oh- and watch. Some foul language :( Felt it was necessary for the character's development and strain on their relationship. **

**Enjoy && Pleeease Review :)**

* * *

**Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do!**

_"Don't tell me what I can't do!"_

_--John Locke, Lost_**  
**

Bloody hell. Nothing like an early morning fight to really get those neurons jumping. With the 50 strong Eraser bunch satisfactorily whup-assed (which was easier since Mercer and the Mikhail boys weren't present and trying to kill me), we all headed for - you guessed it- more food. The whole flying/fighting thing really takes it out of you. I winced, spitting the copper tasting blood out of the side of my mouth as we flew through the air – _all twelve of us_. (Thirteen if you count their weird little mutt). The fact that there was an other flock just blew my mind. And they looked so perfect together too. They flew extremely well together, never tipping or crashing their wings against each other. I watched enviously as they made a vertical stack, creating just one shadow.

Whole. One.

Like we used to be.

I blinked hard to stop any tears falling. Hayley always used to say crying was a waste of good water. Hayley said a lot of things, sayings that I still use now, even though it hurts to remember where they came from. Because Hayley turned out to be a traitorous bitch. Yet another lie in the mess that was our lives. I remembered when the blond, pretty lady was my one shining light in that dark, dark place that was the school. The one person I trusted in that hellhole. She wasn't even a labbie. We didn't have to say "Doctor" before her name like all the rest. She was a _teacher. _Someone good and kind. We responded to her simple gestures of affection like a starved flower responds to the sun. _We drank it in._

Hayley Kidson. Our teacher that became the closest thing to a parent we ever had. The one who almost ruined our escape, nearly three years ago now, when I was twelve. The one who sent Erasers after us after only a year of safety and recluse. The one who specifically set Mercer and his dog boys to get my baby girl, Lily. She was only four years old! The one scheduled me and my whole flock for the worst thing possible when we went to rescue our sweetheart.

T E R M I N A T I O N

But what put her beyond forgiveness and on the way to eternal damnation in hell, in my eyes, was the part she played in Sid's death.

I realised my flying had become lazy in my thought tracking and I was slipping dangerously close to a fall. Or even worse, into Jet. I veered away from him, swooping in a huge arc and letting the pure bliss of flying overwhelm me. Who wouldn't want this? To feel elegant, graceful, and connected to the earth somehow. To feel powerful and in control. I like to be in control. It makes me feel safe. That's what I hated so much about the school, and about the planned T . I couldn't stop what they were doing, Hayley, the labbies, the Erasers, none of them. The feeling of helplessness almost ruined me and weirdly, so did Hayley's disappointment. As she said to me many, many times: 'You don't have what it takes.' And I didn't. I was constantly reminded of my failures, as a person and as the new leader, and the fact that I was such a reject (aided by the oh-so-lovely Voice).

I was startled by the hard brush of a wing near my face. Damn reveries. I was also startled by the fact that the sun was almost ready to set.

"Just checking you were with us," Jet remarked casually as I scowled at him.

"Well, I am. What do you want?"

"I want lots of things," he replied, sounding vaguely like a Voice.

"Such as?"

"Well... I want you to be here, in the present times with us. Your flock needs you, Char, and you're no use to us if you're stuck inside your memories."

"How the fuck do you dare say that? How the fuck do you dare?" I hissed venomously. "You don't know what is in my head or what is in my heart, Jet so-"

"I know a damn more than you think I do! Every thought you have is written all over your face, because it's all about the same person- Sid. Did it not bother you that Sid wasn't the only one to die? Do you even miss Maxxie at all? Have you noticed that Phina and Anielle are gone?" he snarled back, his cheeks turning scarlet.

"Of course it does! I think about it every single moment and I do NOT need you adding to my guilt because as you have no doubt not forgotten their blood is on _my_ hands. Not yours, Jet. Mine."

"You're letting the flock down! You've gotta be stronger than this-"

His words cut to the already sliced core of who I was.

"You know who you sound like? A freakin' Voice," I sneered, knowing this would hurt him as he was the only senior flock member who hadn't got one. He flinched noticeably and I couldn't help but feel satisfied.

"Yeah, well, what's it gonna take for you to care about us again?" he snapped, and his words unfortunately kept hurting.

"I care about you already. I care too much! I care so much it's hurting me-"

"Yeah, that's obvious! But you can't keep drowning in your self pity and memories, Charla-" he tried to finish but I was done with this. Done with his patronising, cutting words and so out of there.

"Don't tell me what I can't do!" I screamed over my shoulder as I zoomed away, letting the fiery orange sun blind my eyes. The sky was like this the night Sid died...


	4. Sunset Flashback Part One

**Disclaimer – I don't own James' Patterson's amazing work. :/ Sheesh.**

**Disclaimer II: I don't own the quote**

**A/N: This Is The New And Improved Soldiers :D Hope everyone likes.**

**A/N II: Its waaay past my bedtime and I'm knackered, but an update is well overdue. I'm listening to the Mean Girls Soundtrack, it's AWESOMENESS !!! (:**

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**Sunset **

**(Flashback Part One)**

"_I looked away  
then I look back at you,  
You try to say  
the things that you can't undo,  
If I had my way  
I'd never get over you,  
Today's the day  
I pray that we make it through._

_Make it through the fall,  
Make it through it all._

_And I don't wanna fall to pieces  
I just wanna sit and stare at you.  
I don't wanna talk about it  
And I don't want a conversation  
I just wanna cry in front of you.  
I don't wanna talk about it  
'Cause I'm in love with you._

_--Fall To Pieces, Avril Lavigne_

"Oh my gosh! A real life starfish!" Taj squeaked from his position, peering into a rock pool from a solid ledge of sand and rock. Lily went haring over to him to see, and knocked him in. She laughed, and it was like doves singing- so innocent and pure. Taj spluttered, spraying seawater everywhere as he staggered up and glowered at Lily. She continued to laugh her sweet little laugh until Taj leapt out of the pool with a roar and chased after her. Maxxie and Heran yelled in protest as the two almost destroyed their masterpiece of a sandcastle. The twins were some way off, hunting for seashells while Jet and Sephy looked like they were trying to drown each other in a crystal blue, sparkling sea.

This was such an amazing day for us, the first in what had been a series of down days, and what made it better was the fact that I was sun tanning (or maybe sun burning) myself on a hot beach, with the flock so serene and happy and my best friend in the world sitting right beside me. I looked up at him from my comfy spot in the warm sand, wistfully hoping he was thinking like I was - happy thoughts with hopeful and optimistic thoughts for future. Thoughts that things might turn out alright for us after all. He smiled down at me, and feelings I can only compare with feelings of flying rose up in me. Feelings that no one else in the world could probably understand. It was only him that could do that to me. The smile, as rare as one of his hugs, was becoming more and more common. I got the special kind of smile, a different smile; slow and sweet and kinda sexy. I didn't see him smile like that at anyone else. I _hoped_ he hadn't smiled like that at anyone else. God, that was pathetic. Worrying about how my best friend smiled, and if I was the only one he smiled at. _Of course_ he smiled at the rest of the flock… Why had I become so insanely jealous of, well, anything to do with him?

Maybe because I was insanely in love with him?

It was hard not to be. I've known him all my life, he's my rock, my absolute certainty. And he's such an amazing leader.

There's a major bonus in the fact that he's so freaking handsome. (I mean, we all were – one of the perks of being created by narcissist whack jobs looking for perfection in every helix strand of your DNA).But Sid… It looked like the labbies had gone to extremes with him. He was so, so gorgeous, in every way.

Sid is tawnys and blonds and honey browns, with longish, straight sun streaked hair and smooth, flawless tan skin. His eyes are greeny blue with a tinge of greyish sadness. God, he's so beautiful and strong and fierce.

A sudden thought struck my head like a gong. Would I have the same feelings for Sid if he was ugly? Or marked like Jet? It was so terrible I couldn't believe I had thought it, but I had. The questions tugged at my heart, but its answer was insistent: _Yes. Yes._

Because it doesn't matter what the person you love looks like, you still find a way to highlight every feature into perfection. If you truly love them, everything, even the flaws are perfection.

And anyway, it was the Sid on the inside that I really cared about. Who I could confess everything to, no matter how crazy or bad. Who I could rely on for anything. Who explained what was happening when the Voice started to appear. Who stitched me up (First Aid Kit always near by) after Mercer battered the living daylights out of me (more than once), who wiped away my tears in the few times I actually cried, who calmed me down if I ever lost it, the one who made me laugh like no one else could, the one who could make me cry like no one else could.

I fought with him furiously - yelling until my throat was screaming for mercy and my eyes were streaming with angry tears. He fought back just as furiously, of course, and somehow after a screaming fit we would come out of it alright. We might have a brief, awkward hug and then not hold any grudges. It became an unspoken rule of ours, to never bring up any past fights.

I was his second in command, so I shared the seemingly impossible task of finding our families. Where we apparently truly belonged. But at that moment, I knew where I belonged. On the hot beach, with my family. My real family. The only family I was ever gonna have. And to be honest, they weren't that bad.

I stretched luxuriously out on the sand, as the sun continued to climb even higher in the sky. It was almost midday, and I was praying for a miracle – that my pale skin wouldn't turn sizzled lobster red. I mean, it wasn't exactly a turn on. Not like Sid, who had turned an even glossier golden honey tan. He was still sitting up next to me, and from this angle I could perfectly admire his smooth hairless chest.

"_**What did you expect, Charla?" **_my Voice snarled meanly. _**"He's Avian. When's the last time you saw a bird covered in hair?"**_

_What's eating you?_ I asked lazily inside my head, actually thrilled that the Voice was so worked up. It really pissed me off a lot of the time.

"_**I'm sorry that I annoy you a lot of the time, Charla. I really am,"**_ the Voice lost its attitude and instantly became soothing, apologetic. _**"But its for the greater good."**_

_Uhuh, so you've been telling me ever since you got here. But do me a favour and bugger off. I'm enjoying myself here._

"_**So I can see,"**_ the Voice snapped snidely but I ignored it. My eyes were savouring the stunning sight of Sid.

"What?" Sid asked, his 'adorable' paranoia taking over.

"It's – nothing," I shook my head. How could I ever admit to these crazy, uncontrollable but extremely intense feelings?

"Quite clearly its something when you keep looking at me. What is it? Breakfast in my teeth? Zits on my face?"

I laughed. "Sidney, we do not get zits on our faces." He hated being called Sidney, so I did it to annoy him.

"You never know. And, you do keep looking at me you know."

"Do not."

"Do so!"

"Do not."

"Do so!"

"Do not!"

"Do freaking so!" Sid said, shoving me, so I shoved him back. Soon enough we were wrestling roughly, sand flying everywhere. He ended up straddling me (Yeah, yeah I know) and grinned in triumph.

"You only won cos you're fat," I complained.

He pretended to be offended, a _who, moi?_ expression on his face.

"Yes, you. You're just so fat. Lose some weight, will you? Come on, Sidney. Fight that flab!"

He grabbed my wrists and drilled his forehead into mine.

"Malkie!" he said and then started to mutter, in the husky playful voice I just can't resist. I don't know what came over me. I just pushed his forehead away so we were looking at each other again, and reached up to kiss his mouth. Just like that.

I kissed him hesitantly and fiercely at the same time.

But here's the thing – he didn't kiss me back.

Mortified, I pulled away, hating myself for ruining our friendship in one stupid moment of impulsiveness.

"No, no," he grabbed my wrist again, keeping me down. "It's okay, Char, its okay."

No, it wasn't okay. Our 'okay' was like the sea – for now, glittering, but soon enough a storm would come and wreak havoc and destruction. I shifted uncomfortably and Sid moved off me immediately. Gee, didn't realize I was that repulsive. I stood up, dusting sand off nonchalantly and walked away from him, heading towards the sea.

"Hey," he said. I turned, knowing fine well that my thoughts were scrambled all over my face.

"I owe you one, right?" he said quietly, sadly, hopefully.

"Right," I said, before running right into the sea, which was freaking freezing. I dived right under, swimming as far away from the shore and Sid as I could. I dived right under, so that no one would know that half the salt water on my face wasn't from the sea.

**XxX**

In the late afternoon, when we were all remarkably happy and at peace with each other, and smelling of salty sea water, we decided to leave the beach. Better to leave it on a good memory, rather than leaving just because we had to. Plus we were all starving hungry, and it would probably be the best thing to get started on our "mission" again. The impossible task, the one I didn't really want to accomplish, if I was being my honest selfish self.

We were flying towards the city again, the one that never sleeps. Sephy, with her useful skill of detecting any kind of movement (like, if she was looking the right way, she could see a caterpillar wiggling on a leaf hundreds of kilometers away) spotted a flag waving 30 stories up, and therefore we found a roof that became our home for the night. It was huge, obviously, as it was the roof of a 30 storey complex, with two vast water tanks side by side at one end and a brick tower with a steel grey door (a fire exit?) at the other. Strangely, there was a battered couch propped against one of the brick tower walls. And that was all. The flag that Sephy had spotted was fluttering pathetically, as the wind was dying down. It was such a boring flag, dirty white with black letters stamped on it - **GL CORP**.

What did they stand for? Did I really care?  
No, I think not.

We flew down and even though I'd seen them fly about a million times now, I couldn't get over the sheer grace and control of Phina and Anielle. The pretty twins, who were joined at the hip - _literally_. The labbies had messed up - some strands of DNA had fused together and the result was flying to the left in front of me. Two beautiful, big eyed, dark skinned, soft featured Avian hybrids. They were perfect in every way - apart from the fact they were conjoined, with three kidneys and a shared blood supply. They were, for lack of better words, complete miracles. It was amazing that they had two full grown wings - but I knew it had been excruciatingly painful to grow them - and it must have seemed pointless to grow the other wing if they knew they could never use it. But they were fighters (of course - they were expected to die at birth and proved the labbies wrong) and managed to shake off every clumsy fall, every unintentional swoop, every stumble in the sky with remarkable dignity and ease. From far away, they just looked like two sisters standing close together for support.

Sid decided to take Jet and Sephy with him to find some food for tonight (meaning they'd find a cheap convenience store, we weren't the richest mutant freaks). So they headed off, and I was in charge til Sid got back. Thank God for Maxxie. He saved my sanity. I mean, I love my little guys, they're like my babies almost, but they sure tire me out.

Lily, Taj and Heran headed straight for the couch, with Maxxie hot on their heels. It did raise a small smile to my lips, watching the long legged, long haired adolescent running after them like an overgrown kid himself. He was cute, I decided. His big almond brown eyes said: _I'm vulnerable, take care of me_, while the muscles he was beginning to get suggested something different. His skin was nice, in that almost-tan way. He was great with the kids, not as obnoxious as Jet or as stubborn as Sid and extremely good natured and caring.

"Hey! Hey, back off guys!" I heard him protesting, as he wanted to touch the couch first. Maxxie has this weird ability to sense if people have been around, and if he touches objects that other people have, he slips into this weird trance thing, where he relives someone else's memory. We all watched, as Maxxie sat down on the couch and immediately curled up in a corner of it. He seemed to stop breathing and started to frown. I began to panic a tiny bit. But my fears vanished as his eyes sprung open and he began to suck in huge gulps of air.

"Nothing much happened, but I think we should stay away from the couch, the woman who comes up here is a smoker," he added the last bit in a stage whisper, which made Lily, Heran and Taj giggle. Did I mention he was a lifesaver when it came to those unbelievably cute kids?

"Ooh, I've got an idea. How about Phee and Annie take this lot over to the water tanks? It might be warmer, 'cause one of them has gotta be the boiler," Maxxie said enthusiastically, talking with his eyes to the twins.

"Sure," they replied in unison, and carefully herded "this lot" over to the giant water tanks. We waited until their shrill happy shrieks and giggles had faded a bit before I turned on Maxxie.

"Okay, spill."

"There's a woman who comes up here on her break. She's called Sarah, I'll show you..." Maxxie took my hands and pulled me over to touch the couch. The weirdest feeling came over me. It was like falling during a long flight and drowning in the deep sea all at once. And then... there she was. I vaguely noticed that my vision had become blurred, a little hazy around the edges. The clearest thing in sight was her- Sarah.

_A young woman who couldn't have been much older than eighteen stumbled out of the steel grey fire escape door. She pretty in a California beach babe way with very tanned skin and big, loose blond curls. Sarah was crying as she staggered over to the couch. She scrambled for two things and got them out her pocket, a cell phone and a packet of cigarettes. She swore loudly when she obviously couldn't find her lighter, and began punching in digits on her phone._

_"Hey," she said in a broken, hollow voice. "No, no, no, please don't hang up! Jeff! Please, no, nooo," she started to sob, as 'Jeff' clearly had hung up. Huge, painful sobs, as if her heart was breaking. Maybe it was. She phoned again, and he didn't pick up but she left a message anyway, choking the words out through her tears._

_"Jeff, oh, I'm sorry. Sorry I lied. S-sorry I lost the baby. The doctors said I got too stressed out. When I had that panic attack, I killed the baby... The Hudson baby. That's what they called it. They wouldn't tell me anything. Oh, Jeff, please talk to me."_

_Sarah sniffed loudly. "God, if you're even up there, if you care please give me some sort of miracle. I just need a sign, to show that there is a light at the end of this tunnel that is my life. And could you maybe toss in the will power to stop smoking? Cheers." She smiled humourlessly and curled up in the corner of the couch. She found her lighter after scrabbling in the cushion of the battered black leather. She lit a cigarette and smoked it, and slowly, the tears stopped. _

"Oh my god!" I whisper-shouted, my mind reeling from the information overload I'd just received. Hudson was Maxxie's real last name.

"I know! Isn't it just the saddest story you ever heard?" Maxxie said sympathetically before studying me critically. "Char, open your wing out for a sec."

I did what he said without thinking. Stupid of me. A second later the cheeky bugger plucked out one of my feathers! It was an underside one so it bloody well hurt! I was about to start yelling at him but then I realised why he had done it. Sarah had wanted a sign from God, and a pure white fluffy feather seemed like a pretty good one. If it had been just a regular person, I might have got mad, but her last name was Hudson... Then I realised she was way too young to be Maxxie's mom. So, that theory was trash. They did look quite similar though...

"That was nice, Maxxie," I smiled warmly at him.

"Well, I just hope that's enough. Don't want her jumping off here or something," he blushed. He was saved from me lavishing more praise and embarrassing him by the arrival of Sephy, Jet and Sid. Maxxie hurried over to the great water tanks, to stop the kids and twins from knocking Sid over, who was carrying the two bags of tonights food. I watched them all scramble, then sit down, eating like they hadn't been fed in a week. My was happiness dulling at the sight of Sid again. Why did I kiss him at the beach? And the harder question: Why didn't he kiss me back?

The questions looped around my head while I pretended everything was fine and laughed along with the flock. I had adopted a watch position near at the brick tower, near the grey door I had seen Sarah stumble out of. Jet, Sephy, Maxxie and the twins were at different corners of the water tank where the youngest were actually falling asleep! It was coming up for ten and we had had a long, tiring day. But no run ins with Erasers or labbies. A good day. Or it would have been, I thought grimly, glancing around for Sid who had been standing at an edge of the building. Who was now standing right near me.

I sucked in a breath I hadn't realised I was holding, and the questions looped around faster in my head.

"Can I sit down then?" Sid asked bluntly.

"Why didn't you kiss me back?" I blurted out. _Shit._

"What?" Sid was taken aback. But there was no backing out now.

"Why didn't you kiss me back?" I repeated, half-afraid of the answer. But I needed to know.

"It doesn't matter. I can't tell you," he shook his head and it infuriated me.

"Hell you can. And it does matter. It matters to me! Is that not important?" I demanded.

"Of course. But I can't, Char. I just can't."

"Just tell me!"

"No!"

"Sid, why didn't you kiss me back?" I raised my voice a little and he motioned for me to keep it down.

"No, I'm not going to answer that."

"Sid! Just tell -"

"Because Jet is in love with you," Sid burst out. He was livid, but suddenly all the fight went out of him. He looked what he'd never looked before: defeated. "That's why I didn't kiss you back." As for me: knocked for six. There was an awkward silence and Sid sat down a lot further away from me than he normally would have. I have never felt so uncomfortable with myself as I did then.

"That's a beautiful sunset," he remarked simply and I was surprised I didn't kiss him out of relief. His comment had broke the silence, and we were ourselves again. I looked out and wondered how I couldn't have noticed it before. The sun was blazing, a fiery orange ball dipping down in the sky, setting off all the violent streaks and smudges of bright reds and strong pinks. It was as if someone had stolen my feelings and thrown them into the sky.

"Beautiful," he repeated, but he wasn't looking at the sky. He was looking at me. I tried to shrug it off and not show I was higher than the tallest skyscraper you've ever seen in your life.

"Me?" I croaked out. "You've gotta be kidding."

"Oh, yeah, I was joking all along," he said sarcastically. "You obviously haven't seen a mirror in a long time." Then he tried to shrug it off as well, turning to look back at the sky, but it was darkening now and not nearly as wonderful as before. I wouldn't let him away that easy. He wasn't allowed to dismiss something like that, that easily. Not when he had been in my head for what felt like forever.

"So, if Jet hadn't liked me, what would you have done?" I pressed him, even though I knew he was unwilling to pursue the subject- because I knew I would never calm down until he told me. Sid remained silent. I didn't ask again, as I didn't want want him to get frustrated, I just wanted him to bloody well answer me!

"He's my best friend," he said stoutly and that stung. I shook myself mentally, trying to banish ridiculous thoughts. Jet was **my **best friend too. But I wasn't in love with him.

"He's my best friend too -" I began but Sid cut me off. His voice was hollow and as he looked out at the blackening sky, I knew he wasn't seeing it. When he spoke, it sounded like he was talking to himself as much as me.

"Jet's my best friend. I could never do anything to hurt him. It just, it just wouldn't be right. And, to do what's right, sometimes you have to give up the thing you want the most..."

_Oh my god oh my god oh my GOD_

Did Sid mean what I think he did? I hoped so.

We stared at each other for a long time, barely blinking, barely breathing. We weren't touching but it felt like we were. The look was more physical than anything I'd ever felt before - even more than the brief one sided kiss on the beach. As his ocean coloured eyes stared at me, of all people, I felt like I was falling insanely in love with him all over again. I tried to stop - it was crazy, reckless and freakish - just like we were. Memories flitted though my head at high speed. Was I dying? Was my life flashing before my eyes? Was I having a Voice attack? No, but I wondered, could you die from, like, an emotion overload? Looking at Sid, I thought, hell yes.

Another lingering look passed between us. I couldn't hold his intense gaze, so I stared down at my worn trainers. The gesture seemed to say: 'Why me?' In answer Sid lifted my chin up and gave me the most confusing expression, one I couldn't read. Then he slid his other hand to hold my head and kissed me, hard on the mouth. WOAH. Was not expecting that. I unwound my arms from my knees to wrap them around his neck, pulling him closer, bridging the gap between us until there was none. We naturally sank down and even though the ground was solid concrete, I hardly noticed and didn't care. My only interest was Sid - the way his fingers were tangled in my hair, the way his mouth tasted, the way he felt pressed so close to me. But even mutant freaks need air, so flushed and breathing more heavily than usual we broke apart.

"So... Have I repaid my IOU?" Sid asked, with his trademark cheeky smirk plastered on his face.

"Stop smirking like a smug bastard," I said lightly. "Yes, you have. In fact, I think I might even owe you one now."

"Well, do you want to settle that score?"

"You bet," I smiled, pulling him down for another kiss. His lips were so soft, a lot softer than I would have imagined. I wound my fingers into his tawny hair, forgetting about the flock, forgetting about the beach, forgetting about our fight. All I could focus on was Sid and the insaneness of being tangled up with him. With every minute that passed, I felt like he was robbing another piece of my heart with his passionate kisses. Maybe that sounds mushy or whatever, but that's what it felt like.

Oh my god...

I was kissing Sid.  
Sid was kissing me.  
This was forbidden... Jet said he loved me... Sid didn't want to hurt him... But I'd been hurting for the past year, wanting Sid and knowing I could never have him. And now it looked like I was going to stop hurting.

"Charla," said an ice cold, furious voice.

Or not. That was Jet's voice. _Shit._


	5. Stars Flashback Part Two

**Disclaimer – I don't own James' Patterson's amazing work. :/ Sheesh.**

**Disclaimer II: I don't own the song.**

**A/N: Sorry If Its Cliche :( But I cried when I wrote it ...  
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**A/N II: Thanks to my reviewers, and google translate :)  
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**To All My Wonderful Reviewers -- I LOVE YOU ALL!  
Special shoutouts to TheSmartyPants and panache2005  
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**Enjoy && Pleeease Review :)**

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**Stars **

**(Flashback Part Two)**

_"You're the only one  
I'd be with till the end.  
When I come undone  
you bring me back again.  
Back under the stars,  
Back into your arms."_

_--Fall To Pieces, Avril Lavigne _

Sid scrambled up and I staggered to my feet a few seconds later. I wasn't feeling as guilty as I probably should have been. Who the hell did Jet think he was, anyway? He'd never told _me _of his feelings, so what was I supposed to do? I wasn't his property.

"Lily's crying. More nightmares. She wants you," he said frostily. Great, so that's how it was going to be from now on. I was all too aware of my messed up hair and crumpled clothes. My lips felt like they were swelling up, too.

"Jet, mate," Sid began to try and apologise but Jet cut him off.

"Save it," he snapped viciously. "I don't want to hear it, _mate_."

"Jet, please. Don't go in a mood with me. It's not like I planned it-" I tried.

"Charla, Lily needs you," he said shortly, before stomping off back to his guard post. I sighed, before sitting down next to Lily on the ground. Tears were running down her cheeks and my heart just swelled. I swept her into my arms.

"Heylo, sweetheart. Jet says you were having bad dreams. Wanna tell me about them?" Lily shook her head, wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her face in my shoulder. I stroked her white blond hair as her tiny body shook with sobs. Lily is strangely stoic for a four year old but the dreams - no, nightmares- she has a lot wake her up screaming and sobbing. We don't really know what happened to her when she was kidnapped, just about a month ago. I think the labbies were trying to figure out our sign language and trying to force her to into speech again. If anything, it just made her worse.

Thankfully Taj and Heran were sound asleep, and so untroubled by Lily's distress. A wry smile fleetingly passed my face when I saw Phina, Anielle and Sephy curled up around each other like kittens. So much for guard duty. Jet was leaning against one of the huge metal support stilts, glaring at Sid who was hunched up, far away beside the brick tower. Lily had become still in my arms. She was tired out after all the fun at the beach. I resolved to give them as much good new experiences as I could. Whilst finding eight sets of parents. Right. Could I do it?

I looked over at Sid. With him by my side, I **_knew_** I could. I tucked Lily back in the makeshift bed (of jumpers and a few extra clothes) beside Taj, my heart melting at the sight of their sweet faces, so untroubled in sleep.

When I was walking back to Sid and the tower, I had a Voice attack. The worst one ever. It felt like drills piercing every side of my head and going straight through my brain. It was sheer agony. I gripped my head, convinced my skull would fall apart in my hands. A series of pictures flashed in front of my eyes, so clear they stung.

A stampede of men in business suits, all trying to get on one carriage of a train. Blue mold floating in a cup of old coffee. Two starving Doberman dogs. Brilliant artistic drawings of the muscles in a human forearm. Then an overlay of better, well designed muscles. A desk with a bowl of M&Ms and a plaque reading: _Dr Ethan Kane. _The Itex logo. Beached whales. Hundreds of seabirds smeared in oil, fighting over one tiny fish. A starving girl collapsing in the desert of Africa. A starving model collapsing on a catwalk. A flashing yellow alarm light. A small grey computer, beeping quietly. A timer flips from 108 to 0 in a second.

:> 4 8 15 16 23 42

Is entered in tiny green font. Then someone quickly types in letters. S A V E. T H E. W O R L D. M A X I -

They don't finish, as the computer explodes, taking New York City with it. The destruction and death is indescribable.

I'm crumpled on the ground, gasping for breath, with Sid and Jet hovering concernedly over me. My knees ached - I whacked them hard on the concrete when I fell down. They both hold out a hand and I take them gratefully, getting to my feet again. I feel small beside them, but safe too. Until reality kicks in.

"Who's watching the kids?"  
"Sephy."

I turned for conformation and almost died in shock. Sephy was struggling fruitlessly against a gag and tight ropes that bound her to the water tank. Taj was out cold and Heran was twitching feebly a few metres away from him. Phina seemed to be losing consciousness and Anielle was having a hard time trying to fight with Phina's slumped weight dragging her down at the waist. Yes, fight.

Because somehow, our safe haven for the night had been rumbled - we were surrounded by a sea of Erasers.

All my worst nightmares were replaying in front of my eyes. And Mercer was holding a gun to Lily's head. Mercer was the bane of my life - an olive skinned Eraser with tangled black hair, mean dark eyes and an arrogant, obnoxious attitude that comes with the territory of being a handsome wolf freak. He hated my guts and wanted me dead. Ditto for me about him.

"Well, if it isn't the prima donna herself. It's not like the last time we spoke, is it? This time I'm the one with the gun. Are you going to listen to me, Charlalaine?" Mercer sneered, dragging my full name out like blood over his long canines. I tried not to cringe at the thought of our last exchange. The wolf munt had pounced on me, slammed me up against a wall and started kissing me. So I pulled out a gun and beat it over his head until he was almost unconscious.

"Drop the gun before I strangle the goddamn life out of you," I threatened, taking a huge step closer. I was hardly aware of Jet and Sid brawling (not with each other) behind me. Mercer backed off slightly, holding the gun tighter to Lily's head. She whimpered quietly.

"Ooh, easy, sweetie, easy."

"I'm not your sweet anything," I fumed, inching closer without looking like I was. I made a few quick calculations, judging angles and jumps. Thank God for genius IQs.

"No, not yet," Mercer laughed, a cruel smile lighting his cruel wolf features. That was when I made my move. I ran, faster than I'd ever ran before so that I collided right into him. Taken by surprise, he fell back and I took the precious seconds before he got up to _throw_ Lily into the air. I Kicked him repeatedly to keep him down so I could grab his dropped gun. This was no easy task, as it was like trying to kick a concrete block. I ended up sitting on his barrel like chest, pressing all my weight down and was satisfied to hear him groan with pain. I clasped the gun in both hands, to stop them shaking and spat my hair out of my mouth as I leaned back again, y'know, casually. As if I wasn't scared out of my wits as I pointed the dull grey gun in between his eyes.

"Always knew you wanted me," smirked Mercer, licking his lips. Eww.

"I don't think you're in a position to be ruddy smart," I snarled, disgusted. Completely unafraid, he pulled me closer to him, so I was almost lying on him, by grabbing my chin and yanking down.

"And I don't think you're in a _position," _he paused, his eyes looking up and down me, "To argue."

I pulled away, furiously angry, shaking with it. "I could blow a bullet through your freakin' brain -"

Mercer laughed, a cold laugh full of such malice and amusement I almost shivered.

"If you were going to kill me, you would have pulled that trigger already. But nooo. You're such a tease, yakking on about positions and blowing -" He abruptly stopped and head butted me so hard I almost passed out. And the gloves were frigging off.

We fought viciously for the gun, rolling over on the concrete and smacking each other's heads across it. He tore out my hair in fierce scratches. I knocked out three of his teeth in one whack to the jaw. He raked his claws across my cheeks, I twisted his arm until he screamed. We kept fighting, snarling and screaming in pain occasionally. It was a lose/lose situation for me - if Mercer got the gun, I would obviously be shot by him. If I got the gun, I wouldn't be able to release the trigger - I just couldn't kill somebody.

So I only had one other option. When I got the gun (after Mercer's knee made painful contact to my forehead, splitting it open by the feel of it) I smashed it across his skull so hard I heard a _crack! _He didn't have time to yell in pain, his just rolled so i could see the whites and collapsed on the concrete.

I realised we had been battering each other dangerously close to the edge of the building. Looking over, the sight made me sick, and I don't mean the height. Large white vans were arriving to accompany the three already haphazardly dumped in what had been an empty car park. The Erasers came pouring out the side doors and quickly ran inside the complex. SHIT! But I didn't really have time to think about that, because I had company.

BAM. THUD. WHACK. (sounds of me smashing an Eraser to unconsciousness, by the way). The rest of the flock were in the thick of the battle. It was time to throw myself in there too.

I ducked from a ferocious punch thrown my way, sticking my leg out at the same time, and almost laughed at the two Erasers that fell over it and started tussling roughly in alarm. But not for long. More and more Erasers kept running out of the steel grey door. They'd been growing these things faster than I'd ever imagined. I heard Lily scream and immediately rushed to her Eraser, to beat him to a pulp. Gasping, I gazed around in dismay. How could this be going so disastrously wrong? We were all starting to tire and make mistakes, letting Erasers throw punches and kicks we probably could have missed if we'd had the energy. I just couldn't believe this. Lily's bruises had barely healed, and now the hounds of hell were ready to drag her back to the School.

Not while there was breath in my body. Which might not be for that much longer anyway. No matter how many Erasers I knocked out, they were replaced instantly. I felt like crying in despair as my acute hearing caught the sound of whirring helicopter blades, then cried out as an Eraser struck a blow to my head from behind.

Sid roared up behind him, and quickly brought the dogboy to his knees before kicking him in.

"Thank you!" I managed to gasp out in between furious punches and scarily accurate kicks. My roundhouse kick was down to a T, catching each Eraser in his barrel chest and getting the breath sucked out of them. I could barely see what the rest of the flock was doing now, just a few flashes of hair or wings headed in brutal offensives against the Erasers. I was seriously breaking into sweat, panting and gasping, trying to stay alive by taking as many of them as I could.

_No,_ I thought angrily, in between vicious swipes, _This is NOT FAIR. Less than an half an hour ago I was tangled up in Sid..._

And what made it worse was the fact that Mercer was back on his feet, even if he looked a little paler, I knew he was spitting mad. It got worse with the arrival of the next batch of Erasers - it included the Mikhail boys (Mercer's crew). All six of them.

"Nice little stunt you pulled," Mercer spat. "Now I want that back." He meant the gun, which had proved very useful for knocking out his wolfy Eraser friends. I glared at him defiantly, before throwing it as hard and far as I could. It bounced off the water tank with a thunk! and plummeted to the ground, about 250ft below.

"Wow! That was good, Chardonnay," he said, his voice full of sarcasm. He was using one of the code names they used for me back at the School. One my "Father" gave to me. He wasn't my biological father and I didn't feel anything for him but hate. I didn't know his real name. Everyone just called him Dr Zard, but I don't think that was his name.

Someone had started to address him with what could have been his name, they choked out what sounded like "Bocht" before Zard threw a knife with superhuman speed. The guy didn't have time to move, and he pitched forward and lay still on the cold, antiseptic floor of one of the medical examination rooms of the School. The knife was lodged in his neck. "Straight into the brain," Zard had muttered, before bending down and taking the knife out. He wiped the blood clean with the dead man's white lab coat. That's when I really started to fear him. I was six years old. That's when my psychoanalysis began. But I don't want to talk about that.

"But just not good enough," he finished with another one of his malicious laughs that chilled me to the marrow and woke me right out of my memories. Still laughing, he pulled out a meaner, bigger gun. So did the Mikhail boys. I wondered how long it would be before I saw my life flash before my eyes. I unfurled my wings - fight or flight? The instinct was perfectly honed. And whatever option chose, I was going to do it to the last microsecond. Which was ticking ever closer, I could tell.

Fight or flight? Fight or flight? Fight? Flight? Fight!

With a strangled yell, I hurtled myself into the sky. My wings felt like they would snap off as I rushed upwards, feeling the cool wind but growing hotter every second I rose higher. It hurt like hell, as in those few seconds, I was turning my body lethal. The heat tensed up every muscle, tautened every nerve and expanded every vein. I was getting hotter as I flew higher. My vision changed and everything was bathed in white hot light. I couldn't hear for the sound of my own blood roaring in my ears. I flew another few metres higher, then flipped upside down and came crashing back down, wings tucked _in._

Mercer screamed in agony as 100lbs of 480'C human/avian fireball flattened him almost into the ground at at least 200 mph. Then all hell _really_ broke loose.

Mercer was writhing on the ground, shrieking and burnt. A couple of other Erasers had caught fire too. I watched in horror as one of them threw himself off the building, unable to stand the torment of the relentless flames. The grey door burst open, and I stopped them all the Erasers who had just arrived in their tracks - they gaped in horror at the fire blazing in the shape of an angel from hell. I screamed at them, and the heat turned my voice high, thin and screechy. They all had guns, and wasted bullets by firing at them at me. The inferno that was me melted them instantly. But I was cooling down rapidly, and I didn't have the energy to do it again. We were all in danger.

"¡Encima de y lejos¡AHORA!" I yelled, switching effortlessly to Spanish and signing for Lily, using my whole arms to emphasise what I was saying. But they ignored me! I couldn't believe it! They'd never done that before!

"¡Escuchar mí!" I shouted, trying to get them to listen. And again, I was ignored. Infuriated, I took out my rage on the Erasers, which helped. A little.

We all fought on. Punching, kicking, biting, scratching, bruising, thumping, battering, throwing, strangling, ripping, tearing, smashing, slapping, cracking, bashing, hitting, pummeling... bleeding. I was taken by surprise and thrown on my back by Mikhail Zard. All the wind was knocked out of me and my head spun. I had just enough time to register the fact that I could see a million beautiful stars that could rival the sunset I'd seen with Sid. But not for long - Mikhail started to knock ten bells out of me. He shouted at me between each _crack!_ - the sound of his stone hard fist connecting with my face.

"That's for Mercer!" _CRACK!_

"That's for Dr. Zard!" _CRACK!_

"Thats for Hayley!" _CRACK!_

"That's for being a freak!" _CRACK!_

"And this is for the way you make me feel -" _Cr-crack!_ Inexplicably, he started sobbing. Erasers didn't cry... What was this? I opened my eyes a slit - Mikhail Zard had his gun pressed against my forehead, and his knees were digging into my stomach. His free hand was clutching at his head and he was rocking, sobbing pitifully. It was a rare thing to see - a powerful, fully grown Eraser snivelling and sobbing like a whipped dog.

"No, no, no. I can't do it... She's my sister," he whispered and I saw the hesitation and weakness in his eyes. I seized the moment to throw him off me, and my knee made painful contact with his face.

"Sonofabitch!!!" he screamed, and I found a secret reserve of energy somewhere, allowing me to start a savage brawl over - you guessed it- the gun. Fists flailing, feet flying, nails snagging, claws rippeing, heads banging on the granite, each trying to batter the senses out of the other. When Mikhail Zard's sharp claws caught on my wing, tearing out more than a few feathers, I groaned and head butted him again before sinking my teeth into his disgusting shoulder. He howled and tried to pull me off, to no avail. So he started clouting me with his gun. Bashing my head in. I could feel my consciousness ebbing... Saw the sky tilting... But that was because Sid had come to rescue me, yet again. The thought occurred to me that he's been doing it ever since I was born. He pulled Mikhail Zard off me and started hammering him. _Completely hammering him._

My usually perfect vision was hazy and I knew I would pass out soon. Stay awake, stay awake, I willed my body to resist giving into exhaustion that was starting to cover me like a thin veil. The world was hazy, with this veil of tiredness clouding my eyes but I saw with perfect clarity as Mikhail Zard was thrown seven feet away, landing on his back with a sickening CRACK and THUD. I was trapped by my beaten down body, helpless and forced to do nothing but watch as I saw the fear enter Sid's wonderful eyes. Mikhail had pulled and released the trigger... One, two, three, four times... Tehn he slumped, a sick satisfied smile twisting his features. Sid didn't scream, just staggered backwards and sank down onto his knees, coughing and spitting blood.

Sid! Oh God Oh God Oh God Not Sid! my mind was screaming frantically as I crawled over to him on my hands and knees at lightening speed, scraping my already bleeding hands. But the pain was nothing compared to the agony that was gripping my body in waves. Sid Sid Sid... Every second before I reached him was like an eternity, as if even time was mocking us. At last I reached him and piercing pain squeezed my heart as I realised time was the one thing we didn't have anymore. Three of the bullets were in his side and the other... Blood was blossoming over his perfect chest, the exact vivid red of a poppy. And above us the stars twinkled.

I cradled his head in my hands, running my fingers through his hair again and again. To my relief he opened his eyes.

"Charla," he said, his voice rough, his breathing haggard and shallow. "Oh, God, Charla. Promise you'll take care of the flock... Complete the mission. I know you can." He kissed my hand over and over, and I released a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. It was all I could do not to sob but the tears flowed down my cheeks, as unstoppable as the time I knew was trickling away from us. Too soon. Far too soon.

"Sid," I knew what I had to ask, something I'd been burning up to ask. "On the Termination Day, why did you not want me to come back for you? It... I didn't mean to kiss Maxxie, honestly... It was out of relief and, and... I'm sorry if it was because you were mad..." I stammered, blushing furiously but Sid was shaking his head. He looked me straight in the eye, drew a shuddering breath and answered me.

"I told you not to come back because I didn't want you getting hurt."

"Why?"

"Because I love you," he replied simply. My breath caught in my throat. My heart thudded against my chest, probably at flight rate of over two hundred beats a minute. I couldn't speak.

"Because I love you," he repeated and I saw his eyes wandering and panicked. I patted his cheeks, trying to keep him awake.

"I love you too. I've always loved you," I finally admitted it out loud. I shouted it out louder, for the whole world to hear. We kissed, furiously, passionately, clumsily. When we had to draw apart, I knew the tears on my face weren't mine alone. I couldn't stop kissing him desperately, afraid for the time when I would reach the last one. But when he started to strain for oxygen...

We kissed "like that" one last time. It was the most bittersweet thing I've ever done. He kissed me soft enough to make me lean closer, to breathe him in, and hard enough to physically bruise my lips. My heart felt like it was being crushed, turning into a heavy rock of pain settling in my chest.

"Sidney, you're perfect. I love y-you. I wish..."

"Charlalaine. I love you too-" his whole body shook with the effort of getting the words out.

"Shush," I tried to soothe but his face contorted with pain, he kept talking.

"The flock. I know I don't even have to ask, but... take care of them. And yourself. Especially yourself. Promise me you will. For me. For us... I wish we could have had more t-time... No more secrets. When you love someone, tell him..."

"OK, I will. Sid, I love you," I smiled but tears blurred my vision. Sid's smile was faint, but it was there.

"God, the stars are beautiful. Just like you... I ju-" Sid started shaking uncontrollably in my arms, then became still again. I felt and heard, in a sigh full of such tenderness, relief and regret, a death rattle hissing. Someone started to keen, a high pitched cry like no sound there ever was. _It was me. _I couldn't stop. I continued to cry and there was an odd note to it when I reached the crescendo of my shrill shrieking - like a crack. Was it the sound of my heart breaking? It felt like it. Sid was limp in my arms but still warm. Oh, Sid... My cry was unstoppable now - a wail that was more birdlike than human. In those moments I realised two things; My grief had unlocked my syrinx - the voice box of an avian and I could never love anyone else, for as long as I lived.

My sobs which were cutting the inside of my throat like I'd swallowed razorblades, were stifled by the stirrings of hate. Hate that churned all the bitterest acids in my stomach - Mikhail Zard was getting to his feet. With a howl, full of anger and hurt and loathing, I sprang at him. He was surprised, although it wouldn't have mattered. My blind rage was winning the advantage points here.

My knuckles split open, bleeding and raw from ruining his face. He staggered, dazed and confused, and it reminded me of Sid... I spun away, only to spin back in a roundhouse kick that was aimed too high - on purpose.

My foot caught so hard my toes cracked.  
I heard the snap of his neck.  
And I was glad.


	6. Sunset Flashback Part Three

**Disclaimer – I don't own James' Patterson's amazing work. :/ Sheesh.**

**Disclaimer II: I don't own the song.**

**A/N: Sorry If Its Cliche :(  
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**A/N II: Thanks to my reviewers! (See below)  
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I'm so, so, so sorry I haven't update in ages! But I'm trying so hard to get my real life organised, I hadn't had much time for this one. (Excuses, excuses, I know!) But here it is!  
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**Sunrise**

**(Flashback Part Three)**

_"I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset..."_

_--Boston, Augustana._**  
**

"Oh my god!" screamed another one of the Mikhail boys. I think it was Reyes. "You killed him! You killed him!" he kept screaming it over and over.

"No, really?" I coughed sarcastically, tasting the copper of blood in my mouth.

"You stupid, stupid bitch!" he screamed hysterically, and I _snarled. _I actually snarled and leaped on him, even though I had almost no energy left. My arms felt like bricks as I still lifted them to pound his face - but I was dragged away, by Mercer.

"NO! Let go of me, you bastard, you f-"

"Hush," he hissed. "You shouldn't have done that... He was just following orders."

I struggled. A massive, hairy paw smacked my face, rendering me silent.

"Hayley Anne's orders..."

I fell limp in his brutal arms. "No..."

The great wolf nodded silently. This was too much. Far, far too much.

"No, no, no!" I shouted at him, as if by saying this it would make it untrue. My mouth felt all fuzzy where he'd hit me. "You're a _liar_!"

Mercer's face contorted in anger as he lunged to hit me again. I winced and waited for the blow to fall but to my astonishment, it never did.

"Look, Hayley did it. And she's coming for you. Now. Get out if here if you want to live. Or just stick around and die," he snarled aggressively. I knew he was just trying to motivate me to leave but the deep throated growling still installed prickling fear in me - the way it was designed to.

"I can't leave him," I wailed, too tired and heartbroken to cry about it.

Mercer clocked me one again, then growled in frustration as he realised I wasn't going to respond to his violence.

"Why are you even trying to help me? You've always _hated_ me," I said bleakly.

"You're no use to me now, all broken and without a fight. I like a challenge," he licked his sharp teeth and I repressed a shudder. Mercer drew himself up and howled proudly. "Besides, I kill for no one but myself. I'm a wolf, not a slave."

"You idiot!" I managed to choke out. "You were bred to kill for them. To follow their orders." His eyes flamed and we were grappling for each other's throats a few seconds later.

I dimly heard clicking sounds and thought someone was loading a gun. I hoped desperately they would shoot me. I could be with Sid...

"Kill me," someone whispered weakly. It was me.

"Certainly, if that is what you wish," said a cool voice pleasantly. "But first, Charlalaine, be a dear and take your hands off my Eraser."

I did as she asked, massaging my own burning throat.

"I don't like touching shit anyway, so thanks," I gasped and Mercer snarled, aggravated instantly by the tiny insult.

"Easy, " the pleasant voice placated the growling beast and I started laughing. She was treating Mercer like a dog, which he kind of was... Plus he'd just given me a lecture about how he never followed orders and yet here he was, following orders... Like a dog... Somehow this was all deliriously funny...

I stopped busting my guts laughing when Hayley kicked my face in so hard I swear some teeth came loose. That was the clicking noise I'd heard - the stiletto heels on her boots. I collapsed onto my knees, clutching my face. I wondered when I would die from all these hits to my head.

"Nice shoes," I complimented. "How many people have you murdered with them? How does Loverboy like 'em? Someone told me he had a fetish for feet-"

Hayley interrupted me with a slap. _CRACK_. (See re; hits to the head)

"Why did you kill Mikhail Zigwamba?" Her voice was low and urgent.

My answer was to spit full force in her face. There was an awful lot of blood included in the saliva so I had about two seconds until she recovered.

"FLOCK! UP AND AWAY! NOW!" I screeched, getting to my feet and running off the edge of the building. I heard wingbeats and felt relief beyond the exhaustion. I did a quick head count and had to stem my tears at the low number.

"Come on, just two miles or so..." I said encouragingly, letting them all fly ahead of me. I took a quick glance behind, wishing I hadn't. Hayley, the traitorous bitch, was leaning over Sid's body. There were fires burning and Eraser corpses strewn all over the building roof. Mercer was snarling orders into a walkie-talkie, and I watched in dismay as a huge helicopter started to rise.

He was sending troops after us. We were going to die. After all of that, we were still going to die. The thought wasn't as depressing as it should have been.

I could hear the engine gearing up and my acute senses heard something else. The engine was jugging nicely, setting itself up for a quick chase, but there was a catch in the rhythm. Like something was snagged on it.

The helicopter rose five feet before it exploded, in a supernova of flames and metal. The flames looked solid, burning bright brown orange, and all the people and Erasers cowered as the fiery debris started raining down on them.

I turned and flew after my broken family.

Jet. No Maxxie. Seph. No twins. Heran. Taj. Lily. Me.  
And of course, no Sid.

There was only six of us... the whole world had been tilted onto it's axis, to never flip back again, to never be the same again. How could it be, with four of us gone? They were somewhere we couldn't go. The whole world was destroyed.

My whole world, anyway. Without my family, the world was upside down and all wrong. Without Sid... for me, without Sid, there was no world.

[XxX

The two miles turned into twelve. Nobody complained. Somehow we managed it. I don't know how. Maybe someone from above was watching us, steadying us if we started to slip and lose altitude. Pity they hadn't been watching when Mikhail Zimbagwe picked up his gun, I thought bitterly.

We fell down, rather than landing, into a woodland area, desolate and dark. We were too tired and heartsick to care anymore. Jet started angrily ripping down branches and chunks of wood. Luckily for us, I had the most important backpack and Seph had a lighter in her pocket. Me and her roasted some food over the fire. No one wanted to eat but it was a necessity. My wings were screaming in pain, not to mention the rest of my body.

After cleaning everybody up the best I could with a meagre supply of First Aid Kit stuff (Jet angrily snatched it off me and wouldn't go near me) we sat in a circle around the fire, holding hands. I bowed my head, then lifted it again, keeping my eyes closed. Even then I was unable to stop the tears falling out of my closed lids.

"Dear Lord in Heaven," I began in a wavering voice, my head lifted up to the uncaring stars. They were beginning to fade - the sunrise was beginning, tinging the black sky with the flame colours of the destroyed helicopter.

I ignored the tiniest snort of derision from Jet. "We have been through a terrible ordeal tonight. Somehow, we have survived, although some of our family didn't. We ask you to watch over them in your House and to let them hear this prayer and our love. Now, even though we may walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, we shall fear no evil, because You and our family are with us. In spirit. Because... some things do go on after death. Like... like love," I opened my eyes after pouring out this piece of my soul, wavering, unsure of what to say.

"Amen," supplied Jet helpfully. I nodded to him gratefully.

"Amen," I chorused, with the broken flock.

"Amen," repeated little Lily, tiny and crusty from blood and scrapes.

That was the last word I ever heard her speak.


End file.
